Archive for January 23rd, 2017

College students across the United States continue to be targeted in a common employment scam. Scammers advertise phony job opportunities on college employment websites, and/or students receive e-mails on their school accounts recruiting them for fictitious positions. This “employment” results in a financial loss for participating students.

The student employee receives counterfeit checks in the mail or via e-mail and is instructed to deposit the checks into their personal checking account.

The scammer then directs the student to withdraw the funds from their checking account and send a portion, via wire transfer, to another individual. Often, the transfer of funds is to a “vendor”, purportedly for equipment, materials, or software necessary for the job.

Subsequently, the checks are confirmed to be fraudulent by the bank.

The following are some examples of the employment scam e-mails:

“You will need some materials/software and also a time tracker to commence your training and orientation and also you need the software to get started with work. The funds for the software will be provided for you by the company via check. Make sure you use them as instructed for the software and I will refer you to the vendor you are to purchase them from, okay.”

“I have forwarded your start-up progress report to the HR Dept. and they will be facilitating your start-up funds with which you will be getting your working equipment from vendors and getting started with training.”

“Enclosed is your first check. Please cash the check, take $300 out as your pay, and send the rest to the vendor for supplies.”

Consequences of participating in this scam:

The student’s bank account may be closed due to fraudulent activity and a report could be filed by the bank with a credit bureau or law enforcement agency.

The student is responsible for reimbursing the bank the amount of the counterfeit checks.

The scamming incident could adversely affect the student’s credit record.

The scammers often obtain personal information from the student while posing as their employer, leaving them vulnerable to identity theft.

Scammers seeking to acquire funds through fraudulent methods could potentially utilize the money to fund illicit criminal or terrorist activity.

Tips on how to protect yourself from this scam:

Never accept a job that requires depositing checks into your account or wiring portions to other individuals or accounts.

Many of the scammers who send these messages are not native English speakers. Look for poor use of the English language in e-mails such as incorrect grammar, capitalization, and tenses.

Forward suspicious e-mails to the college’s IT personnel and report to the FBI. Tell your friends to be on the lookout for the scam.

If you have been a victim of this scam or any other Internet-related scam, you may file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.IC3.gov and notify your campus police.

The IC3 produced a PSA in May 2014 titled “Cyber-Related Scams Targeting Universities, Employees, and Students,” which mentioned this type of scam. This PSA can be viewed at https://www.ic3.gov/media/2014/140505.aspx.

SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is reporting six cases of Seoul virus in individuals who had direct exposure to rats in two different Illinois ratteries.Ratteries are facilities where rats are bred. A rattery in Wisconsin purchased rats from the two Illinois ratteries and two Wisconsin residents have also tested positive for Seoul virus. Results of laboratory testing of rats at these facilities are pending.

IDPH is working closely with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and local health departments to investigate the source of these Seoul virus infections, coordinate testing, and prevent possible future cases. IDPH has contacted both Illinois ratteries to identify people who may have been exposed and to follow up on any additional potential illnesses.The ratteries are located in north-west Illinois and east-central Illinois. Neither rattery is currently selling rats.

“Seoul virus is not known to be transmitted from person to person. Therefore, the general public is at extremely low risk,” said IDPH Director Nirav D. Shah, M.D., J.D. “Out of an abundance of caution, we want to let the public know in the event they have recently purchased rats from an affected facility and become ill.”

Seoul virus, a type of hantavirus, is carried only by brown or Norway rats. Other pets and animals cannot be infected. Only a few cases of Seoul virus have been reported in the U.S. Symptoms may include fever, severe headache, back and abdominal pain, chills, blurred vision, redness of the eyes, or rash. In severe cases, infection can also lead to acute renal disease. However, not all people infected with the virus experience symptoms. Five of the six Illinois cases showed no signs of illness.

As the investigation continues, more ratteries or people who have purchased rats at affected ratteries may be identified. Therefore, it is important that people take precautions to avoid becoming infected. If you are concerned about a recent rat purchase, make sure to follow good pet hygiene practices. Contact your local health department or health care provider if you recently purchased or handled rats from an Illinois rattery and are experiencing symptoms of Seoul virus.

As with other diseases carried by rodents, Seoul virus is transmitted to people from direct contact with rat urine or feces, contaminated materials like bedding, and possibly by aerosolized feces, urine, or saliva. It can also be transmitted through a bite from an infected rat.

To avoid becoming ill with diseases carried by rodents:

Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling your pets or areas where your pets have been.

Keep your small pets and their cages out of kitchens or other areas where food is served.

Pet cages, bedding, toys, feed or water containers should be cleaned away from areas where food is served or people may bathe.

Use gloves and a face mask for cleaning.

Avoid creating dust from fecal materials by wetting down bedding and disinfecting it.

Do not sweep or vacuum up rodent urine, droppings, or nests as this creates airborne particles.

Cover cuts and scratches before handling your pet.

Don’t keep small pets in a child’s bedroom, especially children younger than five years.

Don’t snuggle or kiss small pets, touch your mouth after handling small pets, or eat or drink around them.

CHICAGO, IL — Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed a lawsuit against Navient Corporation, its subsidiaries Navient Solutions Inc., Pioneer Credit Recovery Inc. and General Revenue Corporation and Sallie Mae Bank, over widespread abuses across all aspects of its business, including student lending, student loan servicing and student loan debt collection. Madigan’s complaint alleges that Navient’s practices harmed borrowers and put the company’s profits before the interests of millions of student borrowers across the country.

“My investigation found Sallie Mae put student borrowers into expensive subprime loans that it knew were going to fail,” Madigan said. “Navient’s actions have led to student borrowers needlessly carrying billions of dollars in debt and the company must be held accountable.”

For decades, Navient and Sallie Mae have been involved in the business of student lending – from the origination of loans, to the servicing of those loans for repayment, and the collection of loans that enter into default. In this time, Madigan alleged that Navient grew its student loan company into one of the country’s largest by engaging in practices that repeatedly harmed borrowers.

In its loan origination business, Madigan alleges Sallie Mae began peddling risky and expensive “designed to fail” subprime loans to student loan borrowers across the country. Sallie Mae’s unfair and deceptive subprime loans carried very high interest rates and fees and, not surprisingly, were mostly given to students at the worst schools – poorly accredited for-profits. Sallie Mae increased its unfair and deceptive subprime lending while disregarding evidence that these loans would likely default at extraordinarily high rates. Sallie Mae’s conduct was similar to what Madigan saw years ago when she investigated our country’s largest subprime mortgage lenders for their role in the mortgage crisis.

When engaging in servicing student loans, Madigan also alleged Navient failed to perform its core duties. Struggling borrowers in Illinois and nationwide complain that Navient consistently failed to assist borrowers. When borrowers struggling with their federal student loans called Navient for help, the company steered them into successive forbearances that increased the overall cost of their loan instead of telling borrowers about federal income-based repayment plans. When some borrowers were able to finally obtain these repayment plans, Navient failed to provide them with the appropriate information they needed to stay enrolled in these plans every year and avoid costly and unaffordable increases to their payments, according to Madigan’s complaint.

“My investigation found that Navient failed to perform core loan servicing duties properly on both federal student loans and private loans,” Madigan said. “In spite of encouraging borrowers to call Navient for help when they were struggling to pay their loans, Navient repeatedly failed to tell those borrowers about affordable repayment plans that were available to them.”

Madigan’s lawsuit also alleged that Navient improperly allocated monthly payments in addition to failing to properly perform many of its other core servicing functions. In addition, Madigan alleged that Naivent unfairly and deceptively promoted cosigner release broadly to its borrowers when in fact very few cosigners actually qualified for cosigner release.

Once Navient had failed as a servicer and the student loans were in default, Navient and its subsidiary debt collection companies engaged in deceptive collection practices, Madigan alleged. Navient and its debt collection companies allegedly repeatedly misled borrowers about their options to get their federal loans current through the federal student loan rehabilitation program. In addition, Madigan alleged one of Navient’s debt collection companies misrepresented the eligibility requirements for disabled student loan borrowers to have their federal loan debt forgiven entirely.

Madigan’s lawsuit asks the court to provide restitution to all borrowers affected by Navient’s unlawful practices disgorge unlawfully gained profits, impose civil penalties, and rescind or reform all contracts or loan agreements between Navient and any Illinois consumers affected by the company’s unlawful practices.

CHICAGO, IL – The Illinois FILM Office announced that Illinois’ film industry generated $499 million in estimated Illinois spending, a 51 percent increase over the same period last year. This adds to the 18 percent increase that was seen in 2015. The office worked with 345 television, commercial and film projects that generated 13,377 non-extra job hires over the course of 2016.

In addition, Chicago, Illinois was just named the #5 best place to live and work as a moviemaker in North America by MovieMaker Magazine. This is the third year in a row that Chicago has made the top-ten list.

“The film industry here in Illinois continues to grow stronger,” Illinois FILM Office Director Christine Dudley said. “Our focus on attracting innovative and diverse projects has led to an unprecedented half a billion dollars in qualified Illinois production spending. My hope is that we continue to build upon these last two years of success to show everyone that there is no better place to film than Illinois.”

A strong talent pool of cast and crew members, diverse shooting locations and a competitive incentive program attracted a wide variety of projects to film in Illinois in 2016. Primetime hits “Empire” (FOX), “Chicago Fire” “Chicago PD” and “Chicago Med” (NBC) returned to the lineup. NBC also green lit the pilot for the fourth installment in the Chicago franchise, “Chicago Justice.” The series was picked up for a full season which began production filming in September 2016. Online media services also increased their presence in Illinois with the production of original content episodic series: Easy (Netflix), Sensa 8 (Netflix) and Patriot (Amazon).

Illinois is the only state in the country to set a diversity standard for production hiring of women and minority crew members. This growing industry is a priority of the Rauner Administration, and by focusing on making it an inclusive and diverse industry, the Illinois FILM Office is creating opportunities for underrepresented groups in every corner of the state.

The Illinois FILM Office promotes Illinois as a location for film, television and advertising productions, providing assistance with everything from location scouting, hiring cast and crew to working with local unions and guilds. The Office also administers the state’s film tax credit, which has been integral in growing a competitive film industry in Illinois. The 30 percent tax credit is awarded to productions for money spent on Illinois goods and services, including wages paid to Illinois residents. The goal of the Tax Credit Act is to grow, sustain and provide economic and job opportunities for local vendors, crew and filmmakers.

Cook County Commissioners approved seven proposals from President Toni Preckwinkle’s Bureau of Economic Development (BED) that will provide tax incentives to businesses in Cook County.

The incentives, which will either create new or save existing jobs, were approved in the following communities: Chicago, Elk Grove Village, Lansing, Oak Forest, Schaumburg, Schiller Park, and Summit.

As a result of redevelopment activities, these incentives should support the creation of an estimated 112 new private sector full-time jobs, retain an estimated 324 full-time jobs and support 122 construction jobs.

“Three of the companies receiving incentives are from the manufacturing and machinery sector,” said Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle. “I’m pleased that we are able to use our tax incentive tools to either keep or expand manufacturing businesses in Cook County.”

Project Description: Lease to Trane, a provider of HVAC systems, to occupy 24,950 square feet on the site. Stanley Steamer, a provider of commercial and residential cleaning services will occupy 18,910 square feet. This is a new location for both companies.

WASHINGTON, DC – With Senators rumored to vote as early as tomorrow on the controversial Attorney General, leaders from two of the nation’s largest advocacy groups are urging supporters to call in opposition of Sen. Jefferson Beauregard Sessions’ nomination.On the heels of the Women’s March on Washington on Saturday, NAACP President and CEO Cornell William Brooks and Greenpeace Executive Director Annie Leonard are calling on people looking to stop abuses to the civil rights and the environment to contact their lawmakers.Watch the video message at https://youtu.be/6QVeYxqPHtsCall 1-877-959-6082 to connect with your senators to oppose the nomination. Thousands of people have spoken with all 100 U.S. Senators in recent weeks in opposition to Sessions’ troubling record on civil rights, voting rights, immigration, and criminal justice.

The NAACP and Greenpeace are members of the Democracy Initiative, a coalition of the nation’s largest organizations standing for public accountability, civil rights and protecting the right to vote from government interference.

CHICAGO, IL–The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced that the unemployment rate in December inched up +0.1 percentage points to 5.7 percent and nonfarm payrolls decreased by -16,700 jobs over the month, based on preliminary data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and IDES. November job growth was revised down to show a decrease of -4,500 jobs rather than the preliminary figure of +1,700 jobs. The downward revision, coupled with the drop in December payrolls kept job growth well below the national average, with Illinois -52,500 jobs short of its peak employment level reached in September 2000.

“Nonfarm payrolls reflect the job market and this kind of drop is troubling, to say the least,” said IDES Director Jeff Mays. “It’s the largest monthly decline we’ve seen this year and the drop was across most sectors.”

“Another month of climbing unemployment numbers that are far from the national average,” said Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity Acting Director Sean McCarthy. “Illinois needs structural reforms and a balanced budget to attract new jobs and investment in our state. We cannot repair the damage of losing 11,000 manufacturing jobs, 9,700 construction jobs and 5,800 information and financial activities jobs over the course of just one year without real changes that create growth and opportunity in our economy.”

In December, the two industry sectors with the largest gains in employment were: Financial Activities (+1,600); and Information (+300). The three industry sectors with the largest declines in employment were: Education and Health Services (-5,400); Professional and Business Services (-3,600); and Construction (-3,200).

Over the year, nonfarm payroll employment increased by +28,400 jobs with the largest gains in two industry sectors: Professional and Business Services (+31,600); and Leisure and Hospitality (+11,900). Industry sectors with the largest over-the-year declines in December include: Manufacturing (-11,000), Construction (-9,700), Information (-2,900), and Financial Activities (-2,900). The +0.5 percent over-the-year gain in Illinois is less than the +1.5 percent gain posted by the nation in December.

The state’s unemployment rate is higher than the national unemployment rate reported for December 2016, which increased to 4.7 percent. The Illinois unemployment rate is down -0.4 percentage points from a year ago when it was 6.1 percent.

The number of unemployed workers increased +1.7 percent from the prior month to 374,500, down -6.5 percent over the same month for the prior year. The labor force was little changed over-the-month (-2,500) and grew by +0.3 percent in December over the prior year. The unemployment rate identifies those individuals who are out of work and are seeking employment. An individual who exhausts or is ineligible for benefits is still reflected in the unemployment rate if they actively seek work.

To help connect jobseekers to employers who are hiring, IDES’ maintains the state’s largest job search engine IllinoisJoblink.com (IJL). IJL recently showed 66,429 resumes were posted and 164,675 help wanted ads were available.

Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rates

Illinois Seasonally Adjusted Nonfarm Jobs – by Major Industry

Notes:

Monthly 2011 – 2015 labor force data for Illinois, and all other states, have been revised as required by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The monthly historical revisions to state labor force estimates reflect new national benchmark controls, state working-age population controls, seasonal factors, as well as updated total nonfarm jobs and unemployment benefits claims inputs. Illinois labor force data were also smoothed to eliminate large monthly changes as a result of volatility in the monthly Census Population Survey (CPS) and national benchmarking. For these reasons, comments and tables citing unemployment rates in previous state news releases/materials might no longer be valid.

Not seasonally adjusted jobs data with industry detail are available at Not Seasonally Adjusted Jobs. “Other Services” include activities in three broad categories: Personal and laundry; repair and maintenance; and religious, grant making, civic and professional organizations. Seasonally adjusted employment data for subsectors within industries are not available.

About IDES

IDES encourages employment by connecting employers to jobseekers, provides unemployment insurance benefits to eligible individuals, produces labor market data and protects taxpayers from unemployment insurance fraud. Visit the Department’s website at www.ides.illinois.gov for more information. You can also follow IDES on Twitter and Facebook.

SPRINGFIELD, IL –Illinois Department of Human Services Secretary James Dimas announced free income tax preparation and electronic filing is available for low income workers and families. The services are provided free of charge at locations across the state to families with incomes up to $55,000 and individuals with annual incomes up to $30,000.

“Many low income families don’t have access to affordable, professional tax preparation,” said Dimas. “Filing tax returns can be complicated and we want as many Illinois workers as possible to be made aware of this free service.”

Through a partnership between IDHS and tax assistance centers across the state including the Center for Economic Progress and Ladder Up, volunteers provide counseling and advise workers about withholding allowances, filing status, and other tax benefits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit. Volunteer tax preparers can assist in filing federal and state income tax returns for tax year 2016, and, in some cases, for prior years.

Last year, more than 29,000 Illinoisans received free income tax preparation assistance from over 1,800 volunteer tax preparers.

The Illinois Department of Revenue and the Internal Revenue Service will begin accepting 2016 state and federal individual income tax returns on Monday, January 23rd. The 2017 tax filing deadline is Tuesday, April 18, 2017. Most sites will be open between January 21 and April 18, 2017.

Participants are asked to bring appropriate documentation and appointments are made on a first come, first served basis.

Nationwide(BlackNews.com) – At the end of the historic tenure of a black president and the recent resurgence of white supremacy, there is no better time to reflect and remember the journey of black people in America over the last century. It has become evident that a large part of the United States wants to go back to the good old days and reverse the progress that has been made in this country. This heightens the importance of knowing the history to combat those who seek to rewrite it. George Santayana said, Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

Dr. Karen Sloan-Browns book, A Reflection: What a Difference a Day Makes, What About 100 Years? is a contemporary black history book which presents a decade by decade examination of the course of Black Americans from living with Jim Crow in 1909 to Barack Obama in 2009. Her book is an intelligent but easy read, informative as well as entertaining while covering a broadly based range of subject matter. Every reader will find a decade in which they can identify or relate to. Her goal was to look back over 100 years and take note of the progress and changes that have taken place in the aspects of black life in the United States: leadership, business and personal finances, thinking and aspirations, culture, values, attitudes, and how they have affected the quality of life and personal growth for African Americans today, as well as the catalysts for change.

Sloan-Browns book highlights the trials and the triumphs, along with the missteps, of how black people have evolved economically, socially, educationally, politically, and artistically? Who were the leaders, who was a hero, what was the role of the church, how were black people living, where were they living, what books were they reading, and who were the black athletes, artists, and the entertainers. The book focuses on Black life in the United States before and after the Civil Rights Movement sensing the mood of the people in those eras and how they affected the fight for racial equality and overall progress for African Americans today.

Dr. Karen Sloan-Brown, is the author of several books, the non-fiction PSST: Please Somebody Speak the Truth, Educating the Nation on a Shrinking Budget, and six novels, including The Fortunes of Blues and Blessing, Searching for Everland, and A New Season: The Fortunes of Blues and Blessings Book Two. She is currently the Research Lab Coordinator of the Molecular Biology Core Facility at Meharry Medical College. She lives with her husband and daughters in Nashville, Tennessee. Learn more at www.karensloanbrown.com

The City of Chicago Department of Business Affairs & Consumer Protection (BACP) offers FREE business workshops every Wednesday and Friday at City Hall, 8th Floor. To register for a workshop call 312-744-2086. You also can register by emailing BACPoutreach@cityofchicago.org.

February 2017 Workshop Calendar

2/1 City Inspections – Ask Questions, Get Answers 3:00 to 4:30 p.m.Presented by the City of Chicago
To operate a successful business in Chicago you need to know what it takes to maintain compliance. Officials from several City departments will provide insight to operate safely, stay compliant, help prepare for inspections and highlight the do’s and don’ts of operating a business.2/3 Social Strategies & 2017 Planning 9:30 to 11:00 a.m.Presented by Business Bragger
2017 is here and in full force, and we’re here to help! Plan your 2017 social media strategy in this informative and interactive workshop. We will discuss types of strategies across platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and a company blog. The last portion of the workshop will allow you to develop your own social media strategy with live assistance from Business Bragger.2/8 How to Use Your Website, Email and Social Media to Double Your Business Fast!3:00 to 4:30 p.m.Presented by Stephanie L. Walters, Blue Top Marketing
Did you know that your website is the center of your online marketing success? During this session, we will cover the exact steps to integrate email with social media, how to create a virtual advertising loop with all three, turn your marketing into a virtual sales team running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. So come learn how to grow your business faster and better and crush your competition.2/10 Navigating a Commercial Real Estate Transaction 9:30 – 11:00 a.m.Presented by Lema Khorshid, Fuksa Khorshid, LLC
The real estate market is tough – learn how to navigate your way through commercial leases so that you can expand your operation seamlessly. In this workshop, you will hear practical tips as you learn how to locate the ideal property, negotiate the right lease for each type of business, and understand the language and details behind real estate contracts.2/15 How to Obtain a Sidewalk Cafe Permit 3:00 to 4:30 p.m.Presented by BACP, Small Business Center – Public Way Use (PWU) Unit, Anthony Bertuca
Take the mystery out of the Sidewalk Cafe Permit Application process by attending this informative workshop. We will explain the application process, inform you of all the requirements, and help you get prepared to submit an application. The entire application process may take 30 – 45 days, and the 2017 Sidewalk Cafe Season begins on March 1st, so make sure to reserve your seat now.2/17 Everything You Need To Know About Business Insurance 9:30 to 11:00 a.m.Presented by Sandra Cavato Insurance Agency
In this session, attendees will learn the coverages needed for their business. We’ll discuss the right questions to ask your insurance professional and how to protect yourself and your business against law suits.

2/22 Hiring The Best Employees & Managing Employee Behavior 3:00 – 4:30 p.m.Presented by Charles Krugel, a Management Side Labor, Employment and Human Resource Attorney
It’s become incumbent upon business owners & operators to educate employees about what’s appropriate to say & do in the workplace, and how to interact with one-another. This presentation will help you to understand the legal ramifications of such training; different types of training available; who to train, when, where and why (the W’s); company policies and procedures. As always with Charles’ presentations, this will be a discussion and Q & A based seminar.2/24 Tax Issues for Self-Employed Individuals & Businesses9:30 to 11:00 a.m.Presented by Eric Sternberg of the Center for Economic Progress & Yolanda Ruiz of the Internal Revenue Service
This workshop will give an introductory understanding of common tax issues that self-employed individuals often encounter. Participants will learn when they must file a tax return, how to identify worker classifications, how to prepare for an IRS audit, how to make quarterly estimated payments, and how to navigate the IRS website. Participants will benefit from the perspectives of both the individual taxpayer and the Internal Revenue Service.

Click here to view full monthly calendar. All workshops are free and are located at the City of Chicago Department of Business Affairs & Consumer Protection – City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle St., Chicago, Room 805.

The City of Chicago’s Small Business Center (SBC) has partnered with The PrivateBank to make entrepreneurs who complete the city’s Business Start-Up Certificate Program eligible to apply for low-interest and no-fee loans through the bank’s Entrepreneurial Loan Program.

Program participants who complete the curriculum will now qualify to apply for The PrivateBank Entrepreneurial Loan. This low-interest, no-fee loan can range from $1,000 to a maximum of $10,000 for new businesses and $25,000 for businesses with one-year of filed tax returns. All financing decisions are made by the bank.

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Welcome to CopyLine Magazine! The first issue of CopyLine Magazine was published in November, 1990, by Editor & Publisher Juanita Bratcher. CopyLine’s main focus is on the political arena – to inform our readers and analyze many of the pressing issues of the day - controversial or otherwise. Our objectives are clear – to keep you abreast of political happenings and maneuvering in the political arena, by reporting and providing provocative commentaries on various issues. For more about CopyLine Magazine, CopyLine Blog, and CopyLine Television/Video, please visit juanitabratcher.com, copylinemagazine.com, and oneononetelevision.com. Bratcher has been a News/Reporter, Author, Publisher, and Journalist for 33 years. She is the author of six books, including “Harold: The Making of a Big City Mayor” (Harold Washington), Chicago’s first African-American mayor; and “Beyond the Boardroom: Empowering a New Generation of Leaders,” about John Herman Stroger, Jr., the first African-American elected President of the Cook County Board. Bratcher is also a Poet/Songwriter, with 17 records – produced by HillTop Records of Hollywood, California. Juanita Bratcher Publisher